The PA Prisons and Parole Podcast

What happens after lawmakers pass criminal justice reform? Eventually, somebody has to ask: Did it actually work? In this episode, Bret Bucklen and Matt Kleiman (Executive Director of the PA Commission on Sentencing) discuss two major evaluations required under Pennsylvania’s Justice Reinvestment Initiative 2 (JRI2)—Short Sentence Parole and the State Drug Treatment Program—and what the data...

What happens when a Pennsylvania prison unit is built around dignity, normalization, and human-centered design—and then tested with real science? Recorded onsite inside SCI Chester’s nationally recognized “Little Scandinavia” unit, this episode features Dr. Jordan Hyatt (Drexel University) sharing the philosophy behind the model and early results from a randomized controlled trial on violence, mis...

The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections recently developed a new five-year strategic plan – a roadmap for becoming a more intentional, data-driven organization.  This episode features a discussion with Randee Brant (Chief of Staff for the PA DOC) about why the department chose this moment to develop a strategic plan, how the goals and measures were built, and what it will take for the pla...

Results are in from the most rigorous evaluation to date of Pell-funded college programs in prison. In this episode, Dr. Sarah Tahamont (University of Maryland) joins Pracademically Speaking  to unpack findings from Pennsylvania’s randomized controlled trial of Second Chance Pell—and what the evidence really says about recidivism, employment, and the limits of impact at scale.

In this episode, Dr. Bucklen discusses what it means for a program, policy, or practice in corrections to be “evidence-based.”  This label gets applied frequently to all sorts of programs, policies, and practices in corrections but less examined is the strength and quality of the evidence.  Dr. Bucklen also discusses cost-benefit analysis, and why effectiveness alone isn’t the finish line.  This e...

In this episode, we discuss a recently completed evaluation of the Personal Growth program for technical parole violators.  The guest on the show is Dr. Amber Petkus, joint post-doctoral fellow with Penn State University and the PA Department of Corrections.  We also talk with Dr. Petkus about her experience as a post-doc at the PA DOC.  She reflects on her time with us as she prepares to move on.

Visiting incarcerated loved ones can be an intimidating process—but it doesn’t have to be! The key to a successful visit is to be prepared and know what to expect. In this episode of the PA Prisons and Parole Podcast, SCI Camp Hill Sgt. Lopez breaks down the visiting experience for visitors, including how to set up a visit, what to bring, what to wear, how to visit with kids, and so much more. For...

In this episode we revisit three previously conducted evaluations by the PA Department of Corrections: 1) Therapeutic Communities (TCs); 2) the SIP-HOPE pilot program; and 3) a residential relocation pilot program. These evaluations highlight the use of multiple rigorous evaluation methodologies (randomized controlled trial, regression discontinuity, and propensity score matching) for attempting t...

It can be a very challenging time for family members and friends when a loved one is incarcerated—especially at the beginning. To help answer some common questions about the reception process, SCI Camp Hill Corrections Classification Treatment Manager Miranda Brechbiel joins the podcast to discuss what in-processing is like for incarcerated individuals. Camp Hill is the reception facility for male...

A successful reentry hinges on securing a job, so many of the reentry efforts in the Department of Corrections are focused on teaching incarcerated individuals useful job skills for when they get out. While many are in traditional trades, SCI Pine Grove began a new partnership with The Last Mile to teach inmates a unique yet highly valuable skill: computer coding. In this episode, TLM Executive Di...

Staff wellness is an under-appreciated component of corrections historically.  The field is just now starting to pay more careful attention to this important topic, but how do we measure the effectiveness of staff wellness initiatives?  Outcomes in this area tend to be a bit more squishy than say recidivism rates or in-prison assault rates.  In this episode we speak with Kayla Franklin, the Pennsy...

In honor of Military Appreciation Month, our guest for this month’s episode is Jennifer Spitler, regional program outreach coordinator for the Pennsylvania Department of Military Affairs . Jennifer shares about the variety of ways DMVA supports veterans in the DOC—which is the largest employer of veterans in Pennsylvania—including participating in veterans expos at DOC facilities or simply visitin...

While a major focus of the Department of Corrections is preparing incarcerated individuals for reentry, victims of crime can never be overlooked. Fortunately, the DOC has a strong relationship with the Office of Victim Advocate! In this episode, Commonwealth Victim Advocate Suzanne Estrella joins the podcast to discuss the many ways her office works within the DOC to support victims while helping...

In this episode, Dr. Bret Bucklen discusses a new report released by his team this month, which is a cost-benefit analysis of the use of Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT).  The study compares the benefit-to-cost ratio for four different types of MATs that are currently used by the PA Department of Corrections: Revia, Vivitrol, Suboxone, and Sublocade.  Revia (pill form) and Vivitrol (shot form)...

As we prepare to celebrate Second Chance Month in April, the PA Prisons and Parole Podcast hosted DOC Workforce Development Specialist Dorenda Hamarlund to discuss her work in helping reentrants secure employment. Dorenda shared about barriers to employment for reentrants, how the DOC prepares inmates for employment upon release, and how second-chance hiring can benefit employers.

This episode features a conversation between Dr. Bret Bucklen (Director of Planning, Research, and Statistics) and Dr. Lucas Malishchak (Deputy Secretary of Reentry) on the PA DOC’s brand-new Recidivism & Desistance Initiative (RDI). This initiative was introduced in January 2025 to provide quantifiable public safety goals for the agency and to measure progress towards those goals. It is a per...

While the PA DOC’s dog training programs are highly popular throughout the commonwealth, the DOC also features a separate dog program: the Bureau of Investigations and Intelligence K-9 Unit. Capt. John Evans joins the podcast to discuss the vital work his unit performs in keeping contraband out of our facilities. He discusses the training the dogs receive, how their program works, and just how goo...

This episode is a conversation between Dr. Bret Bucklen and Jim Stover (JRI Coordinator for the PA Department of Corrections) on the Justice Reinvestment Initiative (JRI).  We discuss what exactly JRI is, and also the history and impact of JRI efforts in Pennsylvania.

Our year-long trip around Pennsylvania comes to a close as we wrap up this series focusing on each of our prisons with a visit to SCI Houtzdale and SCI Huntingdon. The episode begins with Huntingdon Supt. John Rivello discussing the oldest facility in Pennsylvania, including its many vocation opportunities and its relationship with the community as its literally in the heart of town. Later in the...

In this year-end episode, Dr. Bret Bucklen and producer Jeff Coleman sit down to review and discuss some of the research and evaluation accomplishments at the PA Department of Corrections during 2024.  They discuss results from studies on topics such as inmate visitation, Intensive Parole Supervision caseloads, reentry relocation, and the in-prison Violence Reduction Initiative. Bret and Jeff also...

Our podcast’s tour of DOC facilities is winding down with only a few left, but not before a chat with SCI Greene and SCI Laurel Highlands. This episode kicks off with a chat with Greene Superintendent Randy Evans and Deputy Superintendent for Centralized Services Mark Dialesandro. The duo share about Greene’s PA Correctional Garment Shop, its unique vocational programs, and its culture among staff...

In this episode we speak with Bill Nicklow, deputy superintendent for facility security and special operations at the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections.  Bill talks with us about the practical side of efforts to reduce prison violence.  He also shares highlights of his long and interesting career in the department.  Bill provides context to the prison violence report by Dr. Nancy Rodriguez, w...

In this episode we speak with Dr. Nancy Rodriguez from the University of California-Irvine about a multi-state project that she and several of her colleagues have been conducting for the past five years to examine the causes and consequences of prison violence.  As this project is now coming to a close, Dr. Rodriguez shares with us some of the major findings from the project.  She also shares rele...

Our podcast visits Schuylkill County this month as we shine a spotlight on SCI Frackville and SCI Mahanoy. This episode kicks off with Mahanoy Superintendent’s Assistant Jen Mahally sharing about her facility and its various programs, including how the Pennsylvania Correctional Industries warehouse provides job skills that can be invaluable to reentrants after release. Later in the show, Frackvill...

In this episode we continue to remember the life and legacy of Mark Kleiman.  We review perhaps his most important practical contribution to the field, what he called Swift, Certain, and Fair (SCF) Supervision.  The principles of SCF Supervision were laid out in in his 2009 book, “When Brute Force Fails.”  We discuss various ways that the PA Department of Corrections has implemented the principles...